Three Reductions, Three Gains (3R3G) Technology in South Vietnam: Searching for Evidence of Economic Impact

The aim of the “Three Reductions, Three Gains” (3R3G) project is to reduce production costs, improve farmers’ health, and protect the environment in irrigated rice production in Vietnam through the reduced use of seeds, nitrogen fertilizer, and pesticides. It was developed by the International Rice Research Institute and introduced to farmers in South Vietnam by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in early 2000 through traditional extension work and mass media. Farm survey data provide evidence of adoption of 3R3G primarily in terms of lowering seed rates. The resultant changes in the farm production/cost structure and farmer profits are measured.information-intensive technology, technology transfer, farm-level impacts, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Productivity Analysis,

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Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Reciprocal Inhibition of Adiponectin and Innate Lung Immune Responses to Chitin and Aspergillus fumigatus

Chitin is a structural biopolymer found in numerous organisms, including pathogenic fungi, and recognized as an immune-stimulating pathogen associated molecular pattern by pattern recognition molecules of the host immune system. However, programming and regulation of lung innate immunity to chitin inhalation in the context of inhalation of fungal pathogens such as Aspergillus fumigatus is complex and our understanding incomplete. Here we report that the systemic metabolism-regulating cytokine adiponectin is decreased in the lungs and serum of mice after chitin inhalation, with a concomitant decrease in surface expression of the adiponectin receptor AdipoR1 on lung leukocytes. Constitutive lung expression of acidic mammalian chitinase resulted in decreased inflammatory cytokine gene expression and neutrophil recruitment, but did not significantly affect lung adiponectin transcription. Exogenous recombinant adiponectin specifically dampened airway chitin-mediated eosinophil recruitment, while adiponectin deficiency resulted in increased airway eosinophils. The presence of adiponectin also resulted in decreased CCL11-mediated migration of bone marrow-derived eosinophils. In contrast to purified chitin, aspiration of viable conidia from the high chitin-expressing A. fumigatus isolate Af5517 resulted in increased neutrophil recruitment and inflammatory cytokine gene expression in adiponectin-deficient mice, while no significant changes were observed in response to the isolate Af293. Our results identify a novel role for the adiponectin pathway in inhibition of lung inflammatory responses to chitin and A. fumigatus inhalation

Are point of management assays relevant for food safety in the poultry industries?

The current pandemic has ensured considerable attention has been paid to the role of the approach termed ‘Point of Care’ diagnostics. Indeed, the term ‘RAT’ (Rapid Antigen Test) and RAT hunting now have totally different meaning to that widely understood before 2020. In the veterinary field, including food safety, the term used for these types of rapid in situ assays is ‘Point of Management’ (POM) assays. In this article, we describe our recent research on low cost, low technology, in-house style POM assays in the field of food safety as applied to the poultry industries. We then discuss what are the advantages and disadvantages of these low cost, low technology POM assays

Antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from poultry in the South-East Queensland region

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance patterns of 125 Campylobacter jejuni and 27 Campylobacter coli isolates from 39 Queensland broiler farms. Methods: Two methods, a disc diffusion assay and an agar-based MIC assay, were used. The disc diffusion was performed and interpreted as previously described (Huysmans MB, Turnidge JD. Disc susceptibility testing for thermophilic campylobacters. Pathology 1997; 29: 209–16), whereas the MIC assay was performed according to CLSI (formerly NCCLS) methods and interpreted using DANMAP criteria. Results: In both assays, no C. jejuni or C. coli isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin or chloramphenicol, no C. coli were resistant to nalidixic acid, and no C. jejuni were resistant to erythromycin. In the MIC assay, no C. jejuni isolate was resistant to nalidixic acid, whereas three isolates (2.4%) were resistant in the disc assay. The highest levels of resistance of the C. jejuni isolates were recorded for tetracycline (19.2% by MIC and 18.4% by disc) and ampicillin (19.2% by MIC and 17.6% by disc). The C. coli isolates gave very similar results (tetracycline resistance 14.8% by both MIC and disc; ampicillin resistance 7.4% by MIC and 14.8% by disc). Conclusions: This work has shown that the majority of C. jejuni and C. coli isolates were susceptible to the six antibiotics tested by both disc diffusion and MIC methods. Disc diffusion represents a suitable alternative methodology to agar-based MIC methods for poultry Campylobacter isolates

Comment on "X-ray resonant scattering studies of orbital and charge ordering in Pr1-xCaxMnO3"

In a recent published paper [Phys. Rev. B 64, 195133 (2001)], Zimmermann et al. present a systematic x-ray scattering study of charge and orbital ordering phenomena in the Pr1-xCaxMnO3 series with x= 0.25, 0.4 and 0.5. They propose that for Ca concentrations x=0.4 and 0.5, the appearance of (0, k+1/2, 0) reflections are originated by the orbital ordering of the eg electrons in the a-b plane while the (0, 2k+1, 0) reflections are due to the charge ordering among the Mn3+ and Mn4+ ions. Moreover, for small Ca concentrations (x<0.3), the orbital ordering is only considered and it occurs at (0, k, 0) reflections. A rigorous analysis of all these resonance reflections will show the inadequacy of the charge-orbital model proposed to explain the experimental results. In addition, this charge-orbital model is highly inconsistent with the electronic balance. On the contrary, these reflections can be easily understood as arising from the anisotropy of charge distribution induced by the presence of local distortions, i.e. due to a structural phase transition.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures.To be published Phys. Rev.

Reporting of Sex Specific Outcomes in High Impact Orthopedic Journals

Background: There are known biologic differences between men and women that affect all aspects of health and disease, including in orthopedics. Hormonal regulation influences bone density, tissue structure, joint laxity, and muscle mass. Differences in anatomy and neuromuscular control have also been identified. While previous studies on disease incidences have shown certain conditions are more common in one sex (e.g., osteoarthritis in women), it is not routine practice to evaluate or publish outcomes based on sex. Objectives: To evaluate the frequency with which papers in orthopedic journals published sex-specific outcomes with regard to knee osteoarthritis and rotator cuff pathology. Methods: Four high-impact orthopedic journals were reviewed: Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research (CORR), American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), and Journal of Arthroplasty (JOA). JBJS and CORR were reviewed for rotator cuff and knee osteoarthritis. AJSM was reviewed for rotator cuff, while JOA was reviewed for knee osteoarthritis. 100 articles from each journal were reviewed. If there was any further analysis of sex beyond the statement of how many men and women were included in each group, a study was designated as successfully reporting sexspecific outcomes. Results: 24-29% of rotator cuff articles reported on sex-specific outcomes. Sex specific outcomes were reported in 32-40% of knee osteoarthritis publications. Comparing rotator cuff to knee osteoarthritis articles, there was a trend toward more publications with sex-specific outcomes in knee osteoarthritis, however, this was not statistically significant (p = 0.0562). JBJS publishes significantly more articles reporting sex specific outcomes regarding knee osteoarthritis than rotator cuff (p= 0.0156). Conclusions: Sex-specific outcomes are not widely reported in high-impact orthopedic journals. Sexspecific outcomes are reported more often in knee osteoarthritis where there are already well-known sexbased differences. To improve care, sex-specific outcomes should be reported across all orthopedic conditions.https://jdc.jefferson.edu/sexandgenderhealth/1028/thumbnail.jp

Biodesalination: an emerging technology for targeted removal of Na+and Cl−from seawater by cyanobacteria

Although desalination by membrane processes is a possible solution to the problem of freshwater supply, related cost and energy demands prohibit its use on a global scale. Hence, there is an emerging necessity for alternative, energy and cost-efficient methods for water desalination. Cyanobacteria are oxygen-producing, photosynthetic bacteria that actively grow in vast blooms both in fresh and seawater bodies. Moreover, cyanobacteria can grow with minimal nutrient requirements and under natural sunlight. Taking these observations together, a consortium of five British Universities was formed to test the principle of using cyanobacteria as ion exchangers, for the specific removal of Na+ and Cl− from seawater. This project consisted of the isolation and characterisation of candidate strains, with central focus on their potential to be osmotically and ionically adaptable. The selection panel resulted in the identification of two Euryhaline strains, one of freshwater (Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803) and one of marine origin (Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 7002) (Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen). Other work packages were as follows. Genetic manipulations potentially allowed for the expression of a light-driven, Cl−-selective pump in both strains, therefore, enhancing the bioaccumulation of specific ions within the cell (University of Glasgow). Characterisation of surface properties under different salinities (University of Sheffield), ensured that cell–liquid separation efficiency would be maximised post-treatment, as well as monitoring the secretion of mucopolysaccharides in the medium during cell growth. Work at Newcastle University is focused on the social acceptance of this scenario, together with an assessment of the potential risks through the generation and application of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan. Finally, researchers in Imperial College (London) designed the process, from biomass production to water treatment and generation of a model photobioreactor. This multimodal approach has produced promising first results, and further optimisation is expected to result in mass scaling of this process

Use of a geometric rule or absolute vectors: Landmark use by Clark’s nutcrackers (\u3ci\u3eNucifraga columbiana\u3c/i\u3e)

Clark’s nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) were trained to search for a hidden goal located in the center of a four-landmark array. Upon completion of training, the nutcrackers were presented with tests that expanded the landmark array in the east-west direction, north-south direction and in both directions simultaneously. Although the birds learned to search accurately at the center of the landmark array during training, this search pattern did not transfer to the expansion tests. The nutcrackers searched at locations defined by absolute distance and/or direction relationships with landmarks in the training array. These results contrast with those from experiments with nutcrackers in which an abstract geometric rule was learned. This difference appears due to differences in the experimental paradigms used during training

Sex and Gender in Medical Education, and proceedings from the 2015 Sex and Gender Education Summit

The Sex and Gender Medical Education Summit: a roadmap for curricular innovation was a collaborative initiative of the American Medical Women\u27s Association, Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health, Mayo Clinic, and Society for Women\u27s Health Research (www.sgbmeducationsummit.com). It was held on October 18–19, 2015 to provide a unique venue for collaboration among nationally and internationally renowned experts in developing a roadmap for the incorporation of sex and gender based concepts into medical education curricula. The Summit engaged 148 in-person attendees for the 1 1/2-day program. Pre- and post-Summit surveys assessed the impact of the Summit, and workshop discussions provided a framework for informal consensus building. Sixty-one percent of attendees indicated that the Summit had increased their awareness of the importance of sex and gender specific medicine. Other comments indicate that the Summit had a significant impact for motivating a call to action among attendees and provided resources to initiate change in curricula within their home institutions. These educational efforts will help to ensure a sex and gender basis for delivery of health care in the future